Bangkok to Siem Reap (Angkor Wat) on two wobbly wheels: part 5 and last of a series

This is a continuation of part 4:
http://sunnimoreno.blogspot.com/2016/07/bangkok-to-siem-reap-angkor-wat-on-two_21.html

July 17, 2016 is the day that Siem Reap opened her arms to a crazy singing cyclist. Angkor Wat - a majestic ancient city received Noah with an ambiance of awesomeness that is second to none. Maybe she was aware that it took this guy over a year to prepare for this event and that he had to painstakingly pedal his way from Bangkok to see her.

Noah spent most of the day touring with the help of a very hospitable and cheerful tuktuk driver - Bun Heng. 

At this point Noah was struggling with a decision that he had deliberately procrastinated. It tore at the hinges of his heart to part with Mir and leave her behind, but he had to. It was not because she had served her purpose and lost her usefulness. Rather it was because Noah had to move on to another continent and bringing her along was not worth the effort and expense. Mir would be better off in Cambodia serving a new master.

It didn't take long for Noah to put Mir on display with a "for sale" sign, because the very guard who was in charge of the parking lot couldn't resist her beauty. Noah gave Mir one last hug - which brought laughter to the bystanders, got the cash and Mir took on another foreign sounding family name.

Here are some photos about Noah's stay in Siem Reap:

Accommodations: 

 Golden Temple Villa

 The welcome drink and snacks...

 ...while Noah waited for his room (below) to be done

Food:

The menu said "amok chicken" so out of curiosity Noah 

ordered one serving. To his disappointment it turned out 

to be chicken curry with a slew of veggies. In his mind 

he was imagining a rooster with a bloody machete in hand 

running amok.

Exotic food in Indochina knows no bounds. Tarantulas, frogs, all kinds of bugs, reptiles and worms, but this pile of rice paddy birds was what really took Noah's fancy. It brought his mind back to the younger days when hunting at the rice fields and hills of Bukidnon was his pastime. 

With Noah's dream adventure done, it was time to say good bye. Noah packed his stuff and noted that it was quite heavy. A quick weigh and some calculation revealed that Mir was carrying 95 - 100 kilograms (Noah's weight and stuff combined) through the 400-kilometer ride. No wonder her spokes couldn't stand the strain. Maybe the spokes of the wheel beside Noah could have been a better option.

 Noah boards this bus, which was a 10-hour direct Siem Reap - Bangkok trip. 

While boarding Noah heard some guys talking in a familiar sing-song western dialect. Ay abaw gid! si miss blondie kag si miss petite man gali. Mga taga Bacolod kag Iloilo. Daw sa ma kibot gid sila pagpamangkot ni Nowee sa ila kon diin sila makadto.

 The following day back in Bangkok, Noah's son treats his dad to a session of Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) for a faster recovery from the fatigue.

Grandpa's lil lady couldn't resist getting into the chamber 

with him. She said that she wanted to be an astronaut.

The last photo is quite gross and viewer discretion is advised. 

The other things that Noah gained on this trip

were some scrambled eggs, tender loins, smoked

hamstrings and grilled legs. one month before

the trip Noah was treated for a bad case of 

hemorrhoids. If it did not heal in time he could

also have had some crushed ass-grapes to deal with.

Noah willed in his heart at the start of the trip that it would be an organic experience. This meant - no vitamins, power bars, energy drinks, pain-relief meds, etc, just his one-a-day anti-hypertensive medicine and fish oil capsule and all the street food along the way. It worked out fine for him.

The vision that Noah had a year ago led to an epic adventure that didn't break him. Rather, it taught him lessons that made him a better man. Noah will soon take on another adventure in another place and in God's own time. 

Noah would like to thank the reader for staying with him through the 5 chapters. He is also grateful for the support of his gorgeous wife - Jo Ann of Ark who was patient through the year that Noah was frequently out of town on training rides. To his son - JP and daughter-in-law - Nok for the snacks and cocktails while on his nightly rides and the HBOT, and to his daughter - Kukie and granddaughter - Kailee who sometimes accompanied him on their bikes in his training rounds. 

God Almighty be praised!

Bangkok to Siem Reap (Angkor Wat) on two wobbly wheels: part 4 of a series

This is a continuation of part 3:
http://sunnimoreno.blogspot.com/2016/07/bangkok-to-siem-reap-angkor-wat-on-two_2.html

Another day dawns and Noah is kicking to cross the border into Cambodia, which at this point was one of the many unknowns in Noah's mind. Online research and personal account by his daughter gave some degree of confidence, but riding on a bike through the border crossing was a different experience.

The sign shows that Noah's steed was legit and had a

specified way to go through

The rejuvenated bike is first in line. The gates open at 6:00 and 
there is order and calm in the Thailand. It is quite the opposite 
in the Cambodia gates.

Mir is out in no-man's land between the two countries

The Cambodian border ahead with the rush of Khmer pulling
and pushing their carts to take merchandise in Thailand.

With the passport stamped Noah takes stock of his situation. He is now in Poipet - 151 kilometers from Siem Reap.  This distance can be done in one go as Noah has proven in his previous training rides, but he knew that with a late start due to the processing at the immigrations and the heavy load, he may be caught by nightfall or the usual afternoon rain. A few days before the trip Noah asked his missus - Jo ann of Ark, to check if there was a hotel at Kralanh some 90+ km from Poipet where Noah could spend the night just in case the conditions mentioned above caught up with him. The hotel - Suwannaphum Guest House, confirmed that they could take him. With this contingency plan in place Noah started pedaling out of Poipet.

Cambodia is such a beautiful country - more so if you are traveling by bicycle. Its people are so friendly, happy and helpful and Noah was having a good time soaking in the hospitality and the scene. Butterflies are abundant this time of the year and it was pure joy to be kissed twice on the face. Other wildlife like snakes, toads, lizards and birds came within startling distance. Because of these encounters the kilometers just flew by easily until the sun inched up towards the zenith. Again just like the weatherman said - "sunshine, sunshine and more sunshine." There was not a single cloud in the sky that day and there were no trees in some areas for about 5 - 10 kilometers along the highway except for some planted trees a short distance from the road in some places.

a family who also had to take shelter from the scorching sun.

At this point Noah was again confronted by the nagging question: who will give up first, Mir or Noah. With Mir having a renewed lease in life due to the new spokes, she was functioning like brand new and Noah at this point was starting to feel the drain from biking for 3 days straight. To keep fit Noah had to stop more frequently for food and drink and the roadside shanty shops proved helpful.

Noah had about 10 of this nut in the Poipet - Kralanh stretch

don't ever be deceived by that smile because behind it

is a gradual buildup of fatigue.

At 3:00 PM on the third day of biking Noah pedaled into Kralanh. He looked at the horizon and there was not a single rain cloud in the vicinity of Siem Reap - just sizzling heat. He reckoned that with the given conditions he should be in Siem Reap at 7:00 and so the Suvannaphum Guest House contingency plan was scrapped. But first Noah had to eat lunch - at 3:00.

lunch was a big chicken egg on top of some slices from different 
parts of the abominable swine. It was the only palatable choice in 
the array of dishes at the restaurant and its high fat content promised 
enough energy for the dash to Siem Reap.

According to the lady at the resto, Siem Reap was about 54 kilometers away, but what she did not know or reveal to Noah was that there was a stretch of road that was unpaved, that there would be a strong crosswind, a slight gradual gain in altitude, the sun would become hotter and that all these would be encountered at the same time.

All the combined elements that make biking really 

difficult were encountered in this stretch for about 

1 - 2 kilometers and for another 20 or so kilometers 

more of paved road.

Noah had to resort to singing to cope with the challenge, and the only song that fit the occasion was a Karen Carpenter old favorite with these lines: "...not a cloud in the sky, got the sun in my eye..." and at this point Noah was hoping that it was just a dream.

When one is pushed to the limit even the slightest boost can make a difference and Noah didn't have long to wait.

The first booster was a kilometer post sign showing that Siem Reap was 33 kilometers away. This sudden realization of the nearness of the finish line gave a new tune to Noah, and this time he was singing "... thank you Lord, I just wanna thank you Lord..." 

The next booster came with the end of classes for the day and the schoolkids were walking by the side of the road on their way home. The moment one kid spotted Noah he would shout "wow, hello!" and all the other kids would shout "hello, wow, hello" while waving and clapping their hands and giving Noah high-fives like he was a cycling champion. Noah passed about 3 schools with the scene repeated each time.

The third and most helpful booster came the moment that Noah was feeling all the insult of the distance, the heat, the fatigue and the dust+sweat=mud mucky feeling and pedaling was now painful and tedious. It was a kilometer sign post saying that Siem Reap was just 10 kilometers away. This set the music to yet another old favorite by Frank Sinatra and this time Noah was belting out (in pure ecstasy with matching tears in his eyes and his voice breaking with emotion) these lines: "And now the end is near, and so I face the final curtain... I did it my way!" I mean, he was singing out loud and the people by the road where starting to wonder if the mental hospital was missing a patient.

Noah didn't care what the people thought about him at that moment. The only things in his mind were the 400 kilometers behind him, a warm shower, a soothing massage, a sumptuous dinner, some ice-cold beer and a soft bed for the night.

In no time Noah came to the rotunda by the Charles de Gaulle avenue at Siem Reap, which made him realize that his goal was finally conquered.

Here are the stats for the third day of biking:

Angkor Wat and the final details of the story to be continued 

in this link:
http://sunnimoreno.blogspot.com/2016/07/bangkok-to-siem-reap-angkor-wat-on-two_5.html

Bangkok to Siem Reap (Angkor Wat) on two wobbly wheels: part 3 of a series

This is a continuation of part 2:
http://sunnimoreno.blogspot.com/2016/07/bangkok-to-siem-reap-angkor-wat-on-two_20.html

Day 2 of Noah's adventure and he is up even before the first rooster crowed. How could he not when he still had some hundred kilometers to pedal before he can be sure that indeed there was a bike shop and the right spare parts to be able finish his ride? Another thing that bugged him was the uncertainty of the remaining spokes not breaking.

Breakfast was some frozen food at a 7-11 shop of a gas station that was nuked in a microwave oven and eaten half-heartedly. Noah was again back on the road with this road sign showing that Aranyaprathet - the last Thai city before the border, was not yet close by.

The morning was crisp and cool and the terrain was opposite of the strenuous uphill climb of yesterday. The only thing that kept this scene from being perfect was the stench from the many piggeries and poultries that dotted the hills surrounding the highway. Roadside eateries were also victims to the flies that apparently bred on the manure of the animals. No wonder that Bangkok had no flies.

One thing that Noah really loves about Thailand highways is the wide paved shoulder that offers space for stalled vehicles and doubles as a bike lane.

Even before an hour passed on this morning's ride Noah's peace was once again shattered by the now feared twang of a spoke breaking. This would happen twice before he got into Aranyaprathet bringing the grand total number of spokes broken to four - all in the same rear wheel. You could imagine the concomitant rise in the level of anxiety of Noah and his constant glancing at the rear wheel while pedaling along. The annoying sound of the rear rim banging on the brake pad and fender gave a rhythmic cacophony. 

Rest and food and water stops were now more frequent as it was getting hotter and hotter by the minute. Like what the weatherman said - there was sunshine, sunshine and more of it. Noah lived from one gas station to another on that stretch and the frequent rests gave him time to succumb to the temptation for a selfie:

Aranyaprathet came into view as the wobbly wheel was getting more contorted. First thing Noah did when he got to the border was to check in at the Border Hotel, relieve the bike of its cargo, unlatch the rear wheel and go out hunting for a shop.

If breaking all those spokes and the added strain in pedaling was bad enough for the day, finding the shop was the exact opposite and quite contrary to Noah's expectations. As soon as he exited from the hotel with the damned wheel in hand, Noah bumped into a well-dressed man across the street. The guy took one look at the wheel and asked Noah - in impeccable English, "do you want to have that wheel fixed?" Without hesitation Noah nodded the affirmative and the man shouted at a kid nearby instructing him in Khmer to take Noah to a shop. He also told Noah to give the kid a tip for his effort. The kid grabbed the wheel, hoisted it onto his shoulder and briskly led the way to a shop just one block from the hotel.

At this point the shop owner, the kid and Noah had a Tower-of-Babel moment and the only solution for the communication dilemma was to have the daughter-in-law in Bangkok talk to the shop owner in Thai over the phone - just like at the motel at Khao Hin Son. Noah was told that the 4 spokes + installation and balancing would cost 300 Baht and should be done in 30 minutes. Noah paid up the shop, gave a hefty tip to the kid and smiled at himself for such a good twist in the events of the day. Apparently God had a hand in putting all these together.

With the wheel fixed and mounted Noah was ready for a heavy dinner, a bottle of ice-cold beer and a good night's snore before he would cross the border into the kingdom of ancient temples and happy people.

The day's efforts on a wobbly bike are shown below:

To be continued at this link:
http://sunnimoreno.blogspot.com/2016/07/bangkok-to-siem-reap-angkor-wat-on-two_21.html

Bangkok to Siem Reap (Angkor Wat) on two wobbly wheels: part 2 of a series

This is a continuation of part 1: 
http://sunnimoreno.blogspot.com/2016/07/bangkok-to-siem-reap-angkor-wat-on-two.html

The first day of this journey dawned while Noah was pedaling past the flyover at the Nawamin-Kanchanaphisek junction. All the months of training through the roads in Bangkok taught him when and when not to use the flyovers, which is off limits to 2-wheeled vehicles and he knew that he could get held for questioning by any cop waiting at the other end, but this was not what he was concerned about now. What was in the back of his mind was about who will give up first, Mir or Noah?

Breakfast was at the last fastfood joint before leaving the city at Minburi.

About 50 kilometers into the trip Noah was jolted by a loud snap. Something like a guitar string breaking up because of too much tightening. An inspection of the wheels showed one spoke broken at the rear. Noah spun the wheel and noted a slight wobble that was not too big enough to cause the wheel to hit the bicycle frame. So Noah mounted his steed and resumed pedaling.

Chacheongsao city was conquered that day with the help of the best energy drink around - freshly squeezed sugarcane juice:

About an hour of pedaling from Chacheongsao Noah heard again the now familiar snap. It was at the height of a hot day and another broken spoke could spell disaster. The same rear wheel now had two broken spokes and the rim was already banging on the brake pad at the left, but Noah knew that he could still manage.

The sun was slowly moving down the western horizon as Noah laboriously pedaled up the winding highway to the hill town of Khao Hin Son. This town reminded him of Malaybalay in the island of Mindanao.

Noah found the hotel that he previously searched in google and as usual not a single soul could speak or understand English. Communication was done by phone through Noah's son in Bangkok.

Hinson Hillside Hotel was actually a motel...

...and the room assigned to Noah was "B-song" in Thai.

Sleep didn't came easily to Noah that night with his mind on the two broken spokes and whether Mir could still hold on for another day. This location was just about 60% of the distance from Bangkok to the Thai-Cambodia border - about 114 kilometers to a bike shop.

With the first leg of Noah's trip done here are the stats:

To be continued at this link: 
http://sunnimoreno.blogspot.com/2016/07/bangkok-to-siem-reap-angkor-wat-on-two_2.html